The first task I completed in this module was the Audio Vox Pop. I was very anxious when I began this project as it was early in the year and I had no experience of using media production equipment. However, the Zoom microphone we used to conduct our interviews is very easy to use, so I felt comfortable once I knew how to effectively use it. I was apprehensive about approaching people to request an interview for the fear of being rejected. This was a minor issue as a significant number of people declined to be interviewed, which as a beginner, was quite disheartening, however, I was able to accumulate a number of engaging interviews with students around York St John that I used in the final edit of my Vox pop. I tried to interview a range of students from different backgrounds and ages, and I felt I achieved this to an extent, however I would have liked to include some interviews with mature students which I was not able to do. I felt that this would have given an additional dimension to the Vox pop, and provided insight from different perspectives into student life, aside from the stereotypical young student. During this project I had to take into account the ethical considerations of interviewing the public. One must only record an individual with their permission, and they are entitled to withdraw from the interview whenever they might wish to (Harcup 2015). In addition to this, I had to consider where I was recording audio. Certain areas prohibit filming or recording for privacy reasons, including within the university. For example, recording is prohibited in the university library and the Holgate building. Prior to the task a detailed completed risk assessment is required that considers any potential hazards one may encounter during the task. This can be a time-consuming process as every aspect of the activity has to be considered in detail, to ensure the safety of the crew and the public, and to prevent damage to equipment. I felt this task contributed to my early development as a journalist, as interviewing the public is something I have often avoided doing in the past. Undertaking this task at an early stage meant that I had to learn how to effectively interview someone in a professional manner, and helped me to build my confidence in interviewing people. I feel that if I had not done this task as early in the course as we did I would not have had the confidence to undertake some of the other tasks. The simplicity of the Zoom microphone reassured me that using professional equipment does not have to be daunting. Using professional equipment and achieving more professional-sounding interviews has encouraged me to continue using this technique to interview as a journalist as I find it yields and interesting variety of responses.